Tulips ... Aging Perfectly

My tulips from weeks ago have stayed on my table because I have enjoyed watching them as they age. Petals have fallen, but that has opened the centers to view. I was glad to see them in the sun so I could join the Flower Friday Fun! Thanks, Anni for keeping the challenge going. Good job of catching up with your judging...I am impressed. :-))) 

The snow is melting slowly (see extra)  but we still have piles of it on our deck and bushes. Some of you must wonder why I a so obsessed with the snow. We seldom have any snow and nothing like this in 80 years, so it is a big deal for us. It is also a big mess on the roads because many don't know how to drive in the snow or with icy roads. Another issue is that the snow was unexpected and areas of Portland got extremely different amounts of snow; The snow came down quickly and accumulated before people noticed; people didn't leave work early enough to avoid it. Some were stranded for hours, some overnight; trucks slid and blocked some highways for hours. School buses with children on board were stranded in traffic with no way to get to them and evacuate them! Can you imagine being stuck for hours with a busload of children? The worst example was a bus driver with 7 Special Needs children.